The £200,000 oil change that improved savings, efficiency and emissions

As part of the technical support they offer, Mobil UK supplier and ERIKS partner, Moove Lubricants undertook an in-depth equipment survey at a customer’s water treatment site. Already acting as the oils supplier to the site, and with a lubrication team carrying out on-site tasks such as oil changes, the survey is another way Moove adds value to oil.

In this case, £197,000 of added value.

Spinner doctors

Critical assets at the customer’s water treatment site are the aerators. They had already been flagged-up by the customer as having too much downtime for maintenance and oil changes. So they were one of the first areas the Moove team considered.

As with any asset they are investigating, Moove’s experienced oil technicians analysed the equipment, its operating mode and its operating hours: which in this case are 24/7/365.

With all this information to hand, they then brought their expertise to bear to identify and liaise with the site to recommend the best oil to optimise performance, minimise downtime, increase overall operating efficiency and provide even further additional benefits.

Moving up a gear

The customer was using a mineral gear oil in the spinner aerator gearboxes. As a result, they were suffering from shortened oil change intervals, higher levels of oil consumption, increased energy consumption and unacceptably high maintenance requirements.

After carefully analysing all the factors involved, Moove’s technicians recommended Mobil SHC600 Series synthetic oil, as the lubricant which would provide the best combination of benefits.

Their formulation also helps them resist oxidation and deposit formation at higher temperatures, as well as protecting against rust and corrosion.

Oil change – all change

The customer initially changed to Mobil SHC 600 Series oil in a single spinner aerator gearbox, for a four-week, independently monitored trial.

The results were convincing.

Power consumption reduced by an average of 0.65% from the previous lubricant’s energy usage. Over the oil’s five-year life, this equates to a projected cost saving of £196,964, if applied across all of their 448 spinner aerator gearboxes.

There are also additional benefits, which are harder to cost and quantify, but which are equally valid. For example, greater equipment efficiency means lower CO₂ emissions. A longer oil life – around twice as long as a mineral oil – means a longer oil drain interval. This means fewer oil changes which, together with reduced maintenance, means greatly reduced downtime.

Less maintenance also means fewer maintenance visits. For a customer with critical assets on a large number of often remote and unmanned sites, that can be another significant saving. Which is why this particular customer has since converted over to long-lasting energy-efficient lubricants: for everything from engines to gearboxes and including greases as well as oils.

Now Moove is working in partnership with ERIKS across the UK, customers can expect the wheels, gearboxes, bearings and critical assets of industry to run more smoothly – and more cost-effectively – than ever.

How oil changes everything

The benefits of Mobil SHC 600 synthetic oil:

Superb high-temperature thermal/oxidation resistance

• Helps extend equipment’s high-temperature operating capability
• Extends oil life, to help reduce maintenance costs
• Helps minimise deposits, for trouble-free operation and longer filter life 

High viscosity index and absence of wax

• Maintains viscosity and film thickness at high temperature
• Helps enable exceptional low-temperature performance, including start-up

Low traction co-efficient

• Helps reduce friction and increase efficiency in sliding mechanisms such as gearing
• Potentially reduces power consumption and steady-state operating temperatures
• Helps minimise effects of micro-slip in rolling contact bearings, to extend rolling element life

High load-carrying capability

• Helps protect equipment and extend life
• Helps minimize unplanned downtime
• Extends service intervals

Balanced additive combination

• Provides excellent rust and corrosion prevention, water separability, foam control and air release performance
• Enables problem-free operation and reduced operating costs